Actress Sepideh Moafi gained widespread attention after her role as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi in The Pitt Season 2, which was adored by audiences. However, during her initial years as a struggling actor, she was subjected to some bizarre advice, to say the least. In a recent interview, she opened up about certain industry norms and practices that should have been uprooted a long time ago.
Sepideh Moafi reveals the industry trend of changing names
In an interview with People, The Pitt season 2 star stated that the first agent she hired wanted her to change her name to make it big in the industry. Her comments highlighted a longstanding issue in Hollywood where there is pressure on actors, specifically people of color, to change their names to fit industry standards. However, Moafi was not going to do that, even though she respected other actors’ choices to do it.
“I immediately said, ‘F— no.’ I know actors who have changed their names, and there’s no judgment there,” Moafi said. Furthermore, she informed that she knew many actors from minority backgrounds personally who were expected to change their names but didn’t comply.
“I know a lot of actors, specifically people of color, who have been expected to change their name and haven’t,” she further added.
Moafi was born in Germany to Iranian parents, which places her within the Middle Eastern diaspora. It seems to be an industry-wide trend, which is still prevalent in the 21st century, that actors with non-Western names are considered less marketable. Sometimes, their last names might even typecast or stereotype them into certain kinds of roles, which often forces them to change their names.
The expectation to change names disproportionately affects actors of color and represents issues of representation, assimilation, and bias in casting. In that context, Moafi’s bold stance might inspire other Middle Eastern actors to embrace their heritage without fear of rejection by the industry.
Nevertheless, it seems that the newer voices in the industry are increasingly pushing back against outdated norms and want increasing representation in films and media without making any sort of compromise. And the Iranian-American actress is one of those trailblazers who might just give courage to other actors to hold on to their identity amidst industry pressure.
